Astralis score opening victory over 9z

After a close first map, the Danish side dominated to close out the series.

Astralis have kicked off their IEM Cologne 2024 campaign with a straightforward victory, besting LATAM side 9z in swift 2-0 fashion.

As a reward for their victory, Astralis are now scheduled for an upper-bracket semi-final versus the winner of the series between Natus Vincere and paiN, while 9z are slated to face off against the loser of the aforementioned series for their tournament lives.

Date	Matches
IEM Cologne 2024
11/08/2024	Astralis 16:40 Natus Vincere	Match
11/08/2024	9z 19:20 paiN	Match

"When you hit that flow state, it's just really easy, you just let them do the mistakes," shared Jakob "⁠jabbi⁠" Nygaard after his team's victory. "You don't really have to do anything, to be honest."

Astralis capitalizing on 9z's mistakes proved to be a common trend on both maps of the series, kicking off on Dust2 with a force-buy upset after missing out on the first pistol round. 9z soon equalized, but an eco-hunt gone wrong allowed for Astralis to carry over four rifles, jumpstarting their economy to help them take control of the half.

Clip: buda 1v3 helps keep the first half close

The second half quickly devolved into a back-and-forth affair after Astralis failed to convert their pistol round win, eventually tying up with a 10-10 scoreline. Back-to-back clutches from Alexander "⁠br0⁠" Bro proved to be the difference-maker, allowing Astralis to steal away their opponent's pick 13-10.

The Danish side's pick of Inferno was not even remotely as close, as the only two rounds that 9z managed to procure in the first half were the pistol and subsequent conversion as Astralis displayed an impeccable T-side.

After letting a few rounds slip away in the second half, Astralis quickly closed out their pick 13-5, securing the 2-0 series victory.